I spoke with my family on my way to class and said “Hey Mom! I’m trying Tabata with my friend Dida!” She said “What?! Fajita?” I said “No, Tabata!” She now jokes, “Focaccia, Fajita, Tabata with Dida” as the way to describe my training…love you Mom. Tabata is actually an extremely time-efficient, driven, and challenging workout that at it’s core is only 4 MINUTES. That’s it! And it can be partnered with Body Sculpt, an equally short but strong and intense weight lifting class.

*You may notice that I am reviewing not one but two classes in the same sitting! I love combining great cardio with some toning mixed in, so I was excited to try this studio! These classes were considered separate reservations on ClassPass, and part of me is a tiny bit bummed that now I only have one class left at this studio for my month!

Pre Sweat

The studio was easy to find and is very visible off of Pico Blvd. Get excited because Lock Box LA has its own parking lot! There’s also parking in the neighborhood behind, but already this studio is the bomb. I met up with my instructor Jill P.—an amazing Reebok sponsored athlete, who based on her muscles alone, made me want to buy her pants. She introduced me to the rest of the Lock Box team and I signed the short waiver on an iPad.

Sweat

Jill began by speaking about the origins of Tabata and its benefits, which got me in the mindset to complete the workout. We walked through what we would do for our stretch, warm-up, and finally the Tabata portion. This included moves like inchworms, burpees, knee-jumps, skaters, and lunge split jumps with 180 degree jumps. The stretch and warm-up portion was roughly 6 minutes to increase our heart rate and ready our body for the main event.

We then hit the Tabata (with a specially synchronized song) without abandon, going 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for an exhilarating 4 minutes. This was followed by 10 minutes of core work. Jill called out the moves in her beautiful British accent. I felt very calm but focused and pushed through!

Jill announced if you were staying for Body Sculpt to grab a bench and a set of moderate weights and we went through 2 sets with 3 rounds including moves like rows, push-ups, and curls. It was a great additive to Tabata! Together I felt fully accomplished and ready for my day!

Post Sweat

Lock Box LA also has some great healthy sweet treats to buy and a variety of merchandise; I was very tempted to buy a foam roller. It’s also close to some great local coffee shops!

Tricks of the Trade

I brought my own towel (you will sweat!!!)

There’s a water fountain, so don’t forget your water bottle!

Whatever you do, don’t quit! Jill advises modification or slowing down rather than giving up!

This is a great class to bring along a friend and head for brunch after!

About the Author: McCall is an Actress/ Makeup Artist (currently working for Sephora), living in the heart of West Los Angeles. She is addicted to dark chocolate, Arctic Zero Dairy-Free ice cream, and a good dose of movie theater popcorn (specifically at The Landmark). Her ultimate ClassPass adventure would be either trapeze or horseback riding lessons. But overall, she’s down to try anything. If you see her at a class, or even at work, feel free to say hello!